Combined calendar backing panel and writing implement holder



Dec. 10, 1963 H. J. FRIEDMAN 3,1 13,559 COMBINED CALENDAR BACKING PANELAND WRITING IMPLEMENT HDLDER Filed April 21, 1961 United States Patent OThis invention relates to a comb-ined panel and Writing implementholder.

Among the objects of my present invention are the provision of a deviceof the character described which can be hiulg, e.g. on a wall, or canstand by itself, includes means for detachably holding a writingimplement, can be inexpensively mass produced, is simple to assemble anddisassemble, is capable of being shipped flat in collapsed condition,and is rugged, durable and of attractive appearance.

Other objects of my invention in part will be obvious and in part willbe pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the device hereinafter described, and of which the scopeof application will be indicated in the appended claim.

ln the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the variouspossible embodiments of my invention,

FIGS. l and 2 are, respectively, front and back perspective views of acalendar including a combined pmel and writing implement holderembodying the instant invention, the calendar being shown 1in standingcondition;

p FIG. 3 is a front view of the calendar in collapsed condition as itappears when shipped;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 4 4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail perspective view of the Writingimplement holder in operative condition.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral lildenotes a calendar including a combined calendar backing panel andwriting implement holder embodying my present invention. Moreparticularly the calendar comprises a backing board, i.e. sheet, l2 andWriting implement holder 14. By way of example, a conventional monthlycalendar pad 16 is shown secured, as by stapling, to the front surfaceof the board, and a pencil i8 is removably supported in the writingimplement holder.

The board 12 is fabricated in the usual manner of a stili light weightinexpensive material such as cardboard and is provided with conventionalmeans for maintaining the same erect position, such, for example, as aneasel stand. Said stand includes a large rectangular flap 2t) hinged tothe board along its bottom edge 22 and a small rectangular flap 24hinged to the board along its upper edge 26. Both aps are formed in theboard by Wellknown cutting methods, c g. by the use of slitting andcreasing die rules, whereby each hinge constitutes a weakened linearZone of the cardboard and the iiaps are integral with and fit completelyinto the board to produce a liat front and back surface in thedisassembled (knockeddown) condition of the stand.

The large ilap includes an inverted (as seen in FG. 3) T-shaped slot 28in which a tongue 3i) projecting from the lower edge of ap 24 isdetaehably eaptively receivable. The slot 2S includes a lower (as viewed1n FIG. 3) wide section 32 communicating with a narrow upper section 34.The tongue 30 is joined to the small ap by a narrow neck 36, the tongue,neck and small flap being in one piece. The tongue is receivable in thewide section 32 of the slot but not in the narrow section ice thereofwhile the neck is small enough to be received in said narrow section.

To stand the board, the large flap 2i) is swung down, the small flap 24is swung up and the tongue of the latter is inserted into the T slotthrough the wide section thereof and then moved downwardly (as viewed inFIG. 2) so that the neck 36 enters the narrow section 34 of the slot(which has become inverted on swinging down of the large ap). In thismanner the tongue is detachably captively held in the T slot, and theupper edge 38 of flap 26 (as viewed in FIG. 3) and the bottom edge 40 ofthe board comprise a manually collapsible easel stand for the board.

Pursuant to my present invention, the writing implement holder 14includes a grommet, i.e. an eyelet or short tubular rivet 42, such asconventionally is provided in a board of the character described forhanging the board on a hook or nail, or on a strmg. The grommet extendsthrough an opening in the board and is secured to the board near theupper edge thereof in any conventional manner. For instance, the frontend of the grommet may be formed with an outwardly extending annularflange constituting a head which lies flat against the exposed, i.e.,uncovered, front surface of the board while the rear end of the grommetis clinched against the rear surface of the board, as by bendingportions of the rear end into contact with the back surface of theboard, or by spinning or otherwise heading said rear end. Although thegrommet itself is standard, in accordance with the present invention thefront end of the grommet is integrally formed to include, i.e. has inone piece therewith, a novel pair of flat circular eyes 4d. These eyesare coplanar and are secured to and disposed on diametrically oppositesides of the front head of the grommet. The eyes therefore are locatedon the exposed front surface of the board i.e. the face on which thecalendar pad is disposed. The grommet and eyes desirably are fabricatedin one piece, as by stamping, from a light, easily (manually)deformable, slightly resilient, sheet metal such as thin mild steel orbrass which is capable of maintaining against light stresses any shapeinto which it is deformed, as by bending, i.e. which can be readily bentby hand to assume a new configuration which it will resume when midlystressed away therefrom.

The internal diameters of the llat eyes are slightly larger than thecross-section of an ordinary pencil, ball point pen, crayon or the likewith which the holder is to be used. Of course, the eyes can be made toany desired internal diameter so as to be able to accommodate aparticular size or type of writing implement. Preferably the shape ofthe inner surfaces of the eyes is circular.

The eyes lie liat against the exposed front face of the board when thecalendar lis shipped, i.e., before it is put into use, and this is avery important feature of the present invention, because calendars andthe like of the type invloved herein preferably are capable of beingshipped and stored flat.

To use the writing implement holder the eyes are bent up manually out ofthe plane of the board until they are almost, out not actually,perpendicular thereto; although this brings them into substantialregistry, they are not parallel. Desirably they are deformed by bendingwhere they are coupled to the grommet to converge slightly either towardor away from the board so as to reduce their effective diametersperpendicular to the board to a size ment to prevent it from slippingout of the holder accidentally.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, the instant device issimple to manufacture, can be shipped entirely flat and is very easy toassemble for use either as a standing or hanging combined calendarbacking panel and writing implement holder. t should be pointed out alsothat the present invention 4is not useful only for calendar backingpanels but can be applied to memo pads, note pads and various othersimilar products.

It thus will be seen that I have provided a device which achieves tbevarious objects of my invention and which is well adapted to meet theconditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of my above invention andas various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, itis to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my inventiom I claim as new and desire to secureby Letter Patent:

A combined panel and Writing implement holder comprising, incombination, a sti flat board having a top edge and an exposed frontface, said board further including an aperture near said top edge, and agrommet secured in said aperture in Said board so as to serve as a meansfor hanging the panel, and a Writing implement holder, said holdercomprising two separate coplanar eyes secured to the grommet atdiametrically opposite points of said grommet on said exposed front faceof the board, said eyes being located on said exposed front surface ofthe board and being free of the grommet and the board except at saidpoints of securement, both said eyes being at against said exposed frontface of the board and being constituted of a light manually deformableslightly resilient sheet metal so as to be deformable with respect tosaid grommet adjacent said points of securement and to be capable ofresiliently retaining against light stresses the positions into whichthey are deformed, the openings through said eyes being slightly largerthan the cross-section of a body of a writing implement to be used withthe holder whereby on bending of said eyes into a position where theyare almost parallel, the writing implement can be thrust through theeyes and will be frictonally gripped thereby.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,296,529 Koester Mar. 4, 1919 1,446,741 Faber Feb. 27, 1923 1,803,511Shanholtzer May 5,` 1931

